A Definitive Ranking of Alex Karev’s Romances on Grey’s Anatomy

Alex Karev is one of the most beloved characters on Grey's Anatomy. 

Season after season, he continues to grow and evolve, and he's one of the only original characters who hasn't been brutally killed or written off the show. He's absolutely deserving of love and—though we can never count on anything in Shondaland—it seems he's finally found it.

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But we can't forget that Alex, played by Justin Chambers, has quite the complicated romantic history with partners who range from totally lovable to deeply irritating.

In the interest of taking a trip back through Grey's Anatomy history, keep scrolling for a definitive ranking of Alex Karev's romances, from worst to best.

8. Callie Torres

We can't even really talk about this because it barely appears as a blip on the radar during Callie's speech on Lecture Day. She references it vaguely, and it seems that their romance only lasted for the duration of a difficult reconstruction surgery. Suffice it to say we feel weird about it, and happily could have done without this relationship.

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7. Ava/Rebecca Pope

We know Ava marks an important part of Alex's romantic history, but we just can't stand her. When she originally appears, she brings out a very caring side of Alex that we hadn't seen before. However, as time goes on, Ava's continued reappearance in his life starts to take a toll. He feels personally responsible for her well-being and ultimately takes it as a personal failure that he can't help her on his own. We can't help but feel that Ava set Alex's growth back, instead of allowing him to move forward.

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6. Lucy Fields

No, no, no—we don't like Lucy Fields. While the pair definitely has some chemistry, their relationship was always a little strained. Lucy always seems to be waiting for Alex to do something wrong, which makes it hard for him to truly trust her. Then, on top of that, she totally screws him over by taking the job in Africa that was originally meant for Alex. She injures him romantically and in his career, and we'll never forgive her for it.

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5. Lexie Grey

The most we can really say about this relationship is "eh." Alex and Lexie had a short-lived romance that ends after Alex mistakes Lexie for Izzie when he's dealing with hallucinations during the shooting. They deal with a few high-pressure situations, but their feelings never seem to run that deep. What's more, their relationship just feels wrong. Lexie was always destined to be with Mark, so her time with Alex just felt like filler until she was ready to deal with her true feelings.

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4. Olivia Harper

We don't really have much to say about Olivia. She was nothing more than a fling to Alex during his various jerk stages earlier on in the series. He was never even close to soft, sensitive or caring to her, and she didn't seem to be all that into him either. It was a relationship of convenience, so it doesn't really affect our emotions in a good or bad way.

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3. Addison Montgomery

Addison's relationship with Alex is short-lived and not very impactful in a romantic sense. They have a natural attraction to each other, but Alex's commitment to his life of singledom ultimately causes it to end. While their romance is barely a blip on the radar, we do have to rank Addison higher due her impact on Alex's career. It's through their short relationship and professional interactions that Alex changes his specialty from plastic to peds. Not only is peds totally where belongs, it also transforms him into a tender and sensitive child's surgeon instead of the money-focused plastic surgeon he originally wanted to be.

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2. Izzie Stevens

Although Izzie and Alex's relationship ends in a frustratingly vague way, there's no denying that she was one of the great loves of his life. Izzie is the first person who really pulls out Alex's soft side. She allows him to sensitive and vulnerable, which is a huge change from the massive jerk he is at the beginning of the series. They go through their ups and downs, but they obviously love each other very much. We got incredibly attached to their relationship, which made it all the more frustrating when Izzie just disappeared. However, we have to rank this romance high, especially considering how much Izzie helped Alex grow into the peds surgeon we love today.

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1. Jo Wilson

While Izzie marks the first relationship where we really see Alex be vulnerable with someone, Jo marks the first relationship where Alex truly feels understood. They both share a difficult past, and Alex is able to open up to her in a way we haven't seen prior to their relationship. They also genuinely rely on each other, proving that Alex is really able to trust someone, perhaps for the first time. Although they have their issues here and there, in general they represent a fun, supportive and loving relationship. Basically, they're our ultimate relationship goals, and if anything ever happens to them, Shonda Rhimes will be hearing from us personally.

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On the hunt for more Grey's content? Click HERE for the eight dumbest Grey's Anatomy storylines to ever exist.